Patiala, July 18
The Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises (MSME), Government of India, in collaboration with the National SC-ST Hub, Ludhiana, and PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI), organized an Entrepreneur Awareness & Special Vendor Development Programme (EA&SVDP) in Patiala to promote entrepreneurship and strengthen participation of SC/ST-owned enterprises in public procurement.
The programme aimed to create awareness among existing and aspiring SC/ST entrepreneurs while encouraging greater participation of SC/ST-owned Micro and Small Enterprises (MSEs) in government procurement opportunities.
Welcoming the participants, Ms. Bharti Sood, Senior Regional Director, PHDCCI, highlighted the importance of empowering SC/ST entrepreneurs through awareness, skill development, capacity building, and improved access to government support schemes. She reaffirmed PHDCCI’s commitment to working closely with the Ministry of MSME and other stakeholders to promote inclusive and sustainable entrepreneurship while creating new opportunities for MSMEs across the region.
Mr. Surya Bhushan, Branch Incharge, National SC-ST Hub, Ludhiana, explained the objectives of the National SC-ST Hub Scheme and elaborated on the Government of India’s Public Procurement Policy. He informed participants that Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs) are mandated to procure 4% of their annual purchases from SC/ST-owned MSEs and 3% from women-owned MSEs, highlighting the significant business opportunities available for entrepreneurs belonging to these categories.
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The programme was attended by several senior officials, including Sh. Pankaj Jha, Joint Director, MSME Development and Facilitation Office (DFO), Ludhiana; Sh. Peyush Chaturvedi, Deputy Director/P&D (PP), BBMB Chandigarh; Ms. Harkiranjit Kaur, Deputy Director/P&D (TS), BBMB Chandigarh; Sh. Harmandeep Singh, Manager (Contracts), FCI Patiala; Sh. Sampurananand Mishra, Junior Manager (MM), ALIMCO Kanpur; Sh. Saurabh Awasthi, Junior Assistant (MM), ALIMCO Kanpur; Sh. Manish Kumar, Manager (Contracts), IOCL Panipat Refinery; Sh. Deepak Sharma, Senior Trainer, Government e-Marketplace (GeM), Chandigarh; Sh. Yash Kumar Garg, AGM, SBI Local Head Office, Patiala; Sh. Ashok Kumar Bansal, Chief Manager, SBI LHO Patiala; Sh. Ranjeet Singh, IPRO, District Industries Centre, Patiala; Sh. Krishan Kumar Chaudhary, Chartered Accountant, ICAI Patiala; Sh. Amritpal, Assistant District Manager, Punjab Scheduled Castes Finance Corporation, Patiala; Sh. Hardeep Singh Rai and Sh. Ajitender Singh, Faculty Members, RSETI Patiala.
Participants received detailed information on various MSME schemes, the benefits of Udyam Registration, vendor registration procedures, documentation requirements, procurement opportunities with Central Public Sector Enterprises (CPSEs), the e-tendering process, credit facilitation mechanisms, and bank subsidy schemes designed to support business expansion and sustainability.
The programme also served as an interactive platform where existing and aspiring entrepreneurs engaged directly with representatives from CPSEs, banks, MSME organizations, and other support agencies. Technical sessions conducted by experts from MSMEs, financial institutions, CPSEs, and the Government e-Marketplace (GeM) focused on financial assistance, vendor empanelment, digital procurement processes, and various government support services, helping strengthen linkages within the MSME ecosystem and encouraging greater participation in public procurement.
